ELBRIDGE, N.Y. — Take two creatively talented people, add a historic abandoned site with equal portions of imagination and vision, and voila — you get the answers to “where will we hold our event?” “where will we find the right ambience?” and “who makes stuff like that?”

When Katie Peck visited the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Onondaga Community College (OCC), she had a cornucopia of thoughts running through her head. She already had developed a successful business and she had allied herself with a successful business partner in Keith Traub. Together, they had purchased the ideal location for expanding and co-existing. However, Katie wanted input from a neutral business advisor. What she had planned and executed so well in her head, her SBDC advisor helped her commit to paper.

Peck and Traub are collaborators who co-own and co-manage the property and business at Hart Lot Happening (www.hartlothappening.com) in the town of Elbridge, close to the town line with Skaneateles. The two-acre property is an industrial space host to several buildings, including a roughly 20,000-square-foot building that formerly housed Vanderveer & Coleman, Inc., a beanery that closed in 1983. The beanery is still full of all the original machinery used in the processing of various beans — this includes sorting machines and a large roaster. Nearby was the Skaneateles Junction Train Station. The railroad tracks still add to the historical significance and ambiance. The property is situated on Hartlot Street; hence the name Hart Lot Happening.

One of the buildings houses a commercial kitchen that is available for rent. The licensed kitchen is convenient to use for events booked at the site as well as for those requiring a food-preparation space for items served or sold elsewhere. Peck mentioned during a tour that the kitchen recently has been successfully inspected.

Much of the space at 639 Hartlot St. is under construction. Newly poured concrete floors are seen in one of the barns and another of the venue buildings. Creative lighting, rustic walls, and cathedral ceilings create the perfect setting for the perfect occasion. A patio for the courtyard is also being added. A huge open lot is being prepared as a stage for wedding ceremonies. The outdoor area can provide tables and chairs for up to 75 guests. The venue’s indoor maximum capacity is 105, but floorplans for a seated dinner max out at 75.

The property now hosts Unite Two Design (www.unitetwodesign.com), Traub’s custom fabrication business, as well as She Rents Vintage (www.sherentsvintage.com), Peck’s vintage rentals business. This means Hart Lot Happening clients have easy access to the rentals they need to have a dreamy event. With Katie’s flair for creating a timeless setting for any event, it’s difficult to imagine a vision she cannot bring to bear. Her warehouse collections lend themselves to creating the most elegant to the most rustic backdrops. Photo ops abound.

As a metal fabricator, Keith has constructed signs, tables, chairs, doors, and various decorative pieces found throughout the site. No small feat. One of the barns has been designated his shop but, it’s shaping up as another possible venue. Keith’s work can be seen at several businesses in the Auburn-Elbridge-Skaneateles vicinity. His and Katie’s visions complement one another splendidly.

Hart Lot Happening has already logged event bookings. The first event of the season is a wedding scheduled for June 25. Knowing that one has both outdoor and indoor space for guests to mingle lends a sense of old-world conviviality to any event. 

Advisor’s Business Tip: How do you know when you have a great idea? Perhaps when the next person with a great idea wants to partner with you. That just might be the litmus test for your business.                

Nancy Ansteth is a certified business advisor at the SBDC, located at OCC. Contact her at anstethn@sunyocc.edu